Tuesday, April 24, 2012

“No part of your argument has to do with racial or ethnic profiling, does it?” the chief justice asked Mr. Verrilli, who agreed. So reported the New York Times.

On April 24th Chuck Shumer, Senator from the Great State of New York (where I grew up), used a Senate hearing as a thinly-veiled swipe at police officers everywhere, announcing that if the US Supreme Court doesn't rule his way on the Arizona immigration case, he intends to offer legislation that would nullify the decision. Whatever it is. Et cetera.

My mom lives in New York and she says Senator Shumer has done a lot of good things for his constituents. Fair enough. But if one opens an on-line dictionary to the word "demagogue" there is surely a picture of President Obama with his arm around Senator Chuck.

I do not, for a second, advocate such a law for Colorado. Fundamentally, it makes police services harder to deliver because it creates a class of people who face deportation if they are the victim of a crime and call the police. Sound like a good idea? But, if the legislature of Colorado decides it's in the best interest of the citizens of our state.... I'm obligated to enforce it, and I'd also defend my state's right to act in our interest, regardless of what the Obama Administration believes is "just."

And I'm enthusiastically, deeply offended by the notion that I or anyone else I know would "target" someone based on race. If Shumer thinks differently he can drag his dumb ass to Colorado, ride with me for a day or two and watch how grownups deal with people.

Given the above statement delivered in open court, it seems reasonable to conclude that Solicitor General Donald Verrilli was not sent to the Supreme Court to slander law enforcement in Arizona, or elsewhere. He was sent to argue the technical aspects of Federal Law's supremacy. Bravo for the Obama Administration. Either they have decided to have Senator Shumer be their attack rodent, creating a sort of plausible deniability, or.... He missed a memo.